Sections B & C
Length: 14 measures (0:16 – 0:57)
(Please refer to Part I for links to the accompanying music /cutscene and transcription)
General Description:
The previous section concludes to the sound of a gentle cascade of chimes, as if a crystalline veil was parted. Section B subsequently opens as the serene tones of a shakuhachi emerges to carry the piece’s melody forward. Meanwhile, the acoustic guitar and the double bass continue to play below, outlining the sections’ new harmonic progressions.
Section B may be considered as a formal introduction to Time’s Scar, as it establishes the pieces’ core instrumentation and melodic structure. Accompanying the cutscene’s retrospective visuals, this segment features relatively little tension, and is played with a steadiness that evokes a great sense of calm. In contrast, Section C presents drastic harmonic and rhythmic changes to bridge the music to greater heights in anticipation for the bombastic parts to come.
Analysis:
Mitsuda-sensei’s ability to regulate musical motion truly shines in these sections. He accomplishes this through careful choices in melodic phrasing, arrangement, and harmony.
Rising Force
The two main phrases in Section B both starts off with a tension-building jump from the root to the 5th. The latter tone is immediately played again to anchor the note as a point of stability before the phrases gently fade away through stepwise motion. This contrast in intervallic distance emphasizes upward motion in the melody, allowing the phrases to end in subsequently higher tones as it develops (m.8, m.12). This rising tendency is further reinforced by the guitar’s arpeggio and the double bass’ fills such that, despite the stepwise descent through Section C, the melody feels like it’s ready to launch off the E in m.20.
It should be noted that this phrasing structure (jump then fall / jump then rise) will be a recurring motif going forward. This will be covered in further detail in next week’s blog post.
Nothing Is Wasted
The guitar and double bass were utilized in their utmost to support the melody and harmony without diverting the spotlight on the shakuhachi.
The bass plays sparingly, presenting the root on the downbeat of every measure. It combines with the melody to form two-note chords that concisely highlights the chord changes as they come. The jump-fills leading up to the downbeats also aid in pushing the music forward and upwards.
Despite the new harmonic information, the shape of the guitar’s arpeggio remains unchanged in Section B. This contributes a sense of familiarity and acts as a reference to measure the piece’s development. In Section C’s two-per-bar changes, the guitar uses chords to quickly deliver of the harmony so that the arpeggio structure may retained. Here, Mitsuda-sensei alters the direction of said arpeggio according to the harmonic tension to govern the music’s pace.
Shared Voices
Section B’s chord progression is as follows:
Emi9 | % | Cadd9(#11) | % |
i, T VI, SD
Emi9 | % | Fma7(#11) | % | Emi9
i, T VTT sub, D i, T
Progressing from T-SD to T-D chord changes is commonly used to build gradual tension. Rather, the interest lies in Mitsuda-sensei’s choice of particular VI and V chords. Beyond the specific colours offered by the Cadd9(#11) and Fma7(#11), the extensions buffer the transitions from Emi9 due by providing shared pitches, and with no addition/removal of voices. In using these chords, the root movement is also minimized, which accentuates the effect of the modulation in Section C.
Winding Up
Section C’s pivots off the stranded i to modulate into the relative major key (G). The progression is as follows:
Gma / Dma | Emi / Cma | Gmi / Dma | Cma
I, T / V, D vi, T / VI, SD I, T / V, D VI, SD
The sudden shift in key and frequency of chord changes infuses the piece with a new level of energy, demanding the audience’s attention. This is paired with the I-V-vi-IV progression, which is commonly used to evoke a sense of optimism. By lingering on the E over the Cma, Mitusda-sensei charges the note with a sense of tension that is carried forward as it launches from the melody’s lowest D back to the E in Section D. Despite its’ expected stability over an Emi harmony, the melody can’t wait to charge forward into the adventures to come.
Thank you for checking out Part 2 of Time’s Scar analysis. I hope it was informative and enjoyable!
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Please tune in next week for the final part of the analysis. Beyond detailing the highlights of sections D-F, I’ll discuss the finer points that makes Time’s Scar such an immersive, powerful piece of music.